Metricon Stadium at Carrara re-opened in mid-2011 following a $144 million complete redevelopment into a 25,000-seat stadium for the new Gold Coast Suns AFL club.
All that remains of the old stadium are the six light towers with everything else flattened. Original plans were for two main grandstands on either side with uncovered seating behind both goals, however additional funding allowed for the roof to continue around the Southern end.
The redevelopment has transformed the old Carrara Stadium into a world-class venue. As well as being home of the new Gold Coast Suns Football Club, the venue is also expected to play host to Cricket fixtures, while it’s also central to the Gold Coast’s 2018 Commonwealth Games bid.
Metricon holds the current naming rights to the venue. As well as Carrara Stadium, the venue has also been known as Gold Coast Stadium.
Construction of the original stadium began in 1986 and opened the following year after the Brisbane Bears were granted a license to play in the VFL. Their highest crowd was in 1989 when 18,198 people watched the Bears play Geelong. However crowds dwindled and the Bears moved to the Gabba in Brisbane in 1993. The ground was left without a major tenant and was sold to the Gold Coast City Council. The ground occassionally played host to Rugby League games and in 1996, the Gold Coast Chargers moved full-time to the stadium until 1998 when they were kicked out from the ARL. The venue had main grandstands on either side of the ground, and grassed areas and seating behind the goals, with a total capacity of around 18,000 including 5,300 undercover seats.
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Location: |
Gold Coast, Queensland |
Address: |
Broadbeach-Nerang Road, Carrara |
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Capacity: |
25,000 |
Seats: |
25,000 (100% of capacity) |
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Record Crowd: |
22,688 - 18/3/1994
ARL: Gold Coast v Brisbane |
Highest Crowd since 1/1/2003: |
23,302 - 23/07/11: AFL: Gold Coast v Collingwood
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Lights: |
Yes |
Arena Roof: |
No |
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Video Screen: |
Yes |
Arena Dimensions: |
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Built: |
1987 |
Redeveloped: |
2011 |
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Former/Other Names: |
Carrara Stadium
Gold Coast Stadium |
Ticketing: |
Ticketmaster |
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Sports Played: |
Australian Football |
Home Teams: |
Gold Coast Suns (AFL) |
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Annual Events: |
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Historic Events: |
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Last Event: |
18/05/13: AFL: Gold Coast Suns v Western Bulldogs
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Next Event: |
08/06/13: AFL: Gold Coast Suns v North Melbourne |
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Directions: |
Transport: |
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From Brisbane take the Broadbeach Nerang Road exit off the Pacific Highway. Approx. 2km from highway to venue. 87km (60 min) from Brisbane City 15km (10 min) from Surfers Paradise 45km (40 min) from Logan City. |
Take a train to Nerang station and connect with Surfside buses to venue. (Venue is 1km from Nerang station) |
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Parking: |
Accommodation: |
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On site spaces with extra spaces across the road adjacent to staium. Some street parking but most have restrictions. |
CLICK HERE to view & book nearby accommodation >>
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